Healthier Pumpkin Bread

posted on September 30, 2013 by Rachel Gurk

This healthier pumpkin bread is so moist and perfect, you’d never guess that it wasn’t 100% indulgent.

Have you noticed I have a thing about making breads healthier? The main reason is that I love eating breads like this healthier pumpkin bread (or the chocolate banana bread I posted last week!) for breakfast. It’s still a treat in my mind but one that I can feel a little better about enjoying. What I love even more are recipes that make two loaves so that I can toss one in the freezer for a treat later in the month. One that is (or at least seems to be) work free to achieve. All you have to do is pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw.

Another reason I like making breads like this more healthy is so that I can feel good about my daughter eating them. I feel confident that I am feeding her something that is not going to contribute to health problems later in life.

Also, as you know, I’m not perfect when it comes to healthy eating (proof…and there’s more where that came from). Instead, I focus on everything in moderation and trying my best to make changes where I can. Whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, reducing the amount of butter, etc.

Tasting this bread, you’d never know that it wasn’t completely indulgent. And that’s the best part. Besides the fact that it’s pummmmmpkin.

Healthier Pumpkin Bread

Yield:2 loaves

Total Time:1 hour 15 mintues

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:1 hour

This pumpkin bread is so moist and perfect, you’d never guess that it wasn’t 100% indulgent.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two large loaf pans with nonstick baking spray. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, sugar, yogurt, water and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add these dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined but do not over mix.

Split the batter between the two loaf pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the size of your loaf pans — mine are extra long so it only took an hour. A toothpick or a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean when the bread is done baking.

Let cool 10-15 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

I am all for healthy twists, and quick breads are the perfect place to do it! Love this one!

It’s nice that you are caring about your health but sometimes is real hard because mostly the times healthy food is not as tasty as Junky food. You can proove me wrong with this bread i think that would be perfect on a fall brunch

I am totally with you on this. I love quick breads for breakfast, but making a few healthy tweaks means that I can not feel weird about eating them right before I go to the gym! Haha. And normally? I find that swapping out some of the fat for a healthier alternative or some of the ap flour for whole wheat is barely noticeable at all!

We’ve made this bread every single year around Thanksgiving and Christmas time for years. It’s one of my most favorite fall treats. It’s very easy to make, uses mostly ingredients you probably already have on hand, and it makes the entire house smell fabulously autumnal while baking. You can’t get any better than that!

The cooking temperature must be in Celsius, not Fahrenheit?

Nope, 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I loved the recipe. I took it one healthy step further and replaced the eggs with 3/4 cup homemade applesauce. since the applesauce is naturally sweet I cut the sugar in half. I also added an extra 1/3 tsp baking powder to ensure it would still rise properly. Turned out great. Thanks for the delicious recipe.

Great tips! Thanks!

This pumpkin bread was delicious!! I highly recommend! It’s hard to find a good recipe for healthy pumpkin bread and everyone loved this one- I think next time I am going to add a few more spices into it like nutmeg and cinnamon. Maybe even sneak some chocolate chips in :) I recommend this yummy recipe and it will be featured in this year’s Eat Smart Move More Maintain don’t gain Holiday Challenge!

So glad you liked it! The homemade pumpkin pie spice that I use has both nutmeg and cinnamon in it so that’s why I didn’t add those individually.

Oh my goodness so yummy! Just had a slice. I made it a touch healthier (risky I know) and instead of 3 whole eggs, I used 2 egg whites + 1 whole egg. And I only had vanilla greek yogurt on hand so added just a touch less vanilla extract. It is amazing! You would never tell this was a healthy version. Great recipe! I’ll be back here for sure :)

So glad you liked it! Love the changes you made. I want to try it with less sugar too.

Thanks for this recipe! I cut about half a cup on the sugar, but everything was great. The bread was moist and you’re so, so right. It freezes really well! I’m eating a slice of bread even as I’m writing this :)

This bread recipe is great! I even cut the sugar in 1/2 and it was still very sweet! I also used whole white wheat flour for all the flour and it turned out great. Thank you so much for the recipe, my children love it! :)

Rachel,I love pumpkin! I have made this twice now and both times it turned out.:) Thank you,it is just so Yummy.

I made this recipe today!!! oh my goodness, did it turn out delicious!!!
I’m a recipe modifier so here is what I changed and it turned out great: 1 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice. I also changed 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat. I also added 1 tsp. almond extract. plus 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cups of walnuts. =) SO YUMMY and MOIST. I’m sharing with ALL my friends !!! Thank you !

Thanks for sharing!! So glad you like the recipe :)

this will intrigue those willing to experiment…. I loved the first batch SO much, I came back and made another … except I accidentally left out the sugar..(yikes! I thought… after I realized what I had done, it was already baking). Anyway, I had added 1/2 cup of raisins to the “wet” ingredients, which I blended in a blender. What do you know… Still turned out exceptional! my friends couldn’t believe it when I told them no oil OR sugar!!! what a great recipe!

Only have1/2 cup yogurt now & need to make for company. What can I substitute for the other 1/4 cup?

Try applesauce!

Looks so good. I’m planning on making mine with white wheat. Yes, that’s
what I said. I have organic white wheat in my storage and will grind a few cups and use in this recipe. How healthy is that? I also will try and replace
some of the sugar with applesauce and molasses. We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve made this recipe with less sugar and it has turned out great. I hope yours is wonderful too!

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About Rachel COoks

Hi, I'm Rachel! This site features a wide variety of recipes with one common thread: easy preparations. I love creating accessible and delicious food that will please the whole family. Hope you enjoy! (more about me...)

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